The agriculture minsitry has asked the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) to investigate allegations of corruption against the project director of its Rubber Dam Building Project, which was initiated to ensure irrigation facilities to ultra-poor people.

On June 10, the ministry’s deputy secretary, Morsheda Akhtar, sent a letter to the BADC chairman for taking action against the project director, Dhirenda Chandra Debnath, after an investigation was ordered against him following complaints by the involved farmers.

The farmers also submitted a copy of their complaint to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for taking steps against the project director .

When contacted, BADC chairman Md Nasiruzzaman admitted having received the ministry’s letter. HE said they were already working on the issue.

He promised action against the officer, if found guilty.

According to the letter, the government started the project to help poor farmers get irrigation facilities from the BADC’s Rubber Dam Project.

It has been alleged that Dhirenda Chandra Debnath of taking bribes from poor farmers. It has also been alleged that the project director withdrew money against false bills.

According to the allegation of the farmers, the BADC authorities allocated Tk. 25 crore for building a rubber dam in the Borogorjai area under Ramu upazila in Cox’s Bazar.

The authorities also informed the Borogorjai Water Management Cooperative Society president Taher Ali about the allocation.

But the project director allegedly withdrew the entire sum without any work being done. Getting wind of the misappropriation, the farmers demanded an investigation. They also assaulted  Dhirendra Debnath and his consultant,

Manindra Chandra Rudra, when they went to the area on a sudden visit.

According to the allegation, the project director took around Tk 3.70 crore from the owners of four contractor firms working on the project. He allegedly took Tk. 7.50 lakh from the owner of MH Properties Md. Liton at a city hotel. He also allegedly gave him an additional Tk 2.20 crore.

 When contacted, Dhirenda Chandra Debnath told this correspondent that he did not get any letter from the BADC. “If I get any letter, I'll let you know. I'll also take the necessary measures  after receiving it. I’m sure that I have not done anything wrong or committed any corruption,” he claimed.